This invention relates to a document sending device or system for providing an integrated means for users to send and return documents or for providing for serially sending a document or a container to or among multiple addressees. The device provides for the sending of documents on an inter-organization basis, intra-organization basis, or through the use of any form of delivery service or a postal system.
The present state of the art with respect to envelopes to be used for sending documents inter-organization or inter-office within an organization generally requires that senders and recipients serially cross out the last name and address on an envelope, and thereafter, write an addressee's name and location on the envelope or affix an appropriate label. If the document is to be distributed to a plurality of individuals the sender would follow this procedure for each addressee to be listed on an inter-office envelope. Obviously, the possibility for errors in using such a system are many. If, for example, the original sender is expecting to receive the document back, he must rely on the receiver of the document to properly address it back to him. Where it is expected that the document will be forwarded to a series of individuals, the original sender must often rely on each recipient subsequently accurately addressing the document to the next individual who is to properly receive it.
In connection with documents that are to go through the mails, particularly, commercial documents, similar concerns with accuracy of address information occur. For example, a shipper of goods may include an invoice which includes the address from which an item is shipped, and it may include a separate address to which payment is to be sent. It is desirable for prompt payment that the proper "pay to" address be used. Again, this places reliance on proper subsequent manual addressing which, due to human error, might not occur. For this reason senders often go to the expense of using preaddressed envelopes with prepaid postage, and then forego the inclusion of other materials simply to keep costs low.
Many of these concerns are addressed in a mailing device described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,751 to Mayne. However, the patented device requires that the message bearing document be a multiple sheet form having sender and receiver sections. It is necessary also that the mailing device, which is in fact a packet, include a return envelope which is properly arranged for registry with the return address information. This arrangement materially increases the cost and complexity of the documents being sent, although it may satisfy the concern of proper subsequent addressing for return to an original sender only.
An example of another approach to the problem is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,755 to Conn wherein is described a two-way postal card and envelope that is designed to be mailed and then subsequently returned to the original sender. Again, this is a device which provides for automatic readdressing or subsequent addressing thereby removing the concern for errors; it is a solution which materially increases the cost and complexity of the documents and envelopes which must be sent.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved means for sending otherwise conventional documents and for providing for the automatic readdressing or subsequent addressing of the document to insure that it is properly forwarded without increasing the cost of complexity of the document and container arrangement that is used.
It is another object of this invention to provide a simple, flexible, standardization of input and output areas on any form of document which will permit use by multiple addressees, and with users of any level of sophistication. This will eliminate the problem of users searching documents for relevant addressee information, and allow diverse users to share machine readable documents for input while allowing all addressees thereon to communicate with each other without the need to readdress document or envelope container.
It is another object of this invention to provide for the automatic reuse of intra-organization and inter-organization envelopes/containers without the need for addressees having to rewrite and/or readdress documents or containers. For example, the conventional "Memo from the desk of" becomes a working document among all addressees thereon.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved document sending device which meets the foregoing object and lends itself to a wide variety of applications.